We are known by the crops we grow

Today, Tozer uses farming terms to describe two kinds of lives, ‘fallow’ and ‘plowed’. For those whose home has always been in the city, his metaphor needs some explanation. Fallow land is idle land. It may have been plowed and prepared but is left unsown for a season or more. Farmers do this to give the land a rest that restores its fertility, part of a crop rotation plan. On occasion, the farmer is trying to avoid surplus production.

Plowing is easier to understand. The land has been producing the wrong kind of crop, usually weeds. The soil has become hard and unreceptive to good seed, even to rain. It is useless as it is and needs plowing to break it up and prepare it for planting and production.

Tozer says the person with a ‘fallow’ life is content with the fruit he once bore. He may smile tolerantly or smugly at revivals or self-searching by those who are eager to keep growing in their faith. He might be what others call “steady and faithful” but as far as kingdom living goes, he is fruitless, fixed where he is and not growing, not becoming more like Jesus.

The person who lives a plowed life seeks the face of God. He does not get upset over tests and trials. He is eager to change, quick to repent, and sees the pressures of life as God’s way of transforming him into the image of His Son. He is humble, regardless of the fruit he bears and thoroughly understands what it means to die to self.

Both kinds of people have the same promise from God, but each interprets this differently:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

The fallow ground guy thinks that the abundant life is health, wealth and comfortable circumstances. He measures his abundance much the same way as those who do not know this promise from God. He does not realize that he is ‘worldly’ and caught in the temporal with no desire to be plowed. His prayers are for God’s ‘continued blessing’ and thanksgiving for all that he has.

The plowed guy defines abundant life as a deep relationship with God. He views contentment in all situations, even the tough ones, as abundance. He sees God supply all his needs, thankful yet able to generously part with his possessions if someone else has a greater need. He welcomes trials, even counts them as a joy, because he knows God is using them to bring him to greater maturity. He is also fearless, knowing that the Lord is looking out for him.

The above verse says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Is that not what happens when I become complacent and let my life go fallow? I am being robbed, destroyed and generally unware that living ‘the good life’ is killing me.

Tozer says God gives me what I want and if it is only little of His grace, that is all I will get. But if I want to live all out for Him and in His fullness, His longs “to find that kind of space in me” that He can use to show the world His love and grace.

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You came that I may have life, abundant life. You define it differently than most of us do. You know that we will be challenged by Your plow and life’s struggles, but when I sing, “I’d rather have Jesus than anything” I want to mean it. I’ve tried the comfortable sort of abundance offered by the thief. It has its moments, and being comfortable isn’t necessarily a sin, but isn’t nearly as exciting or as satisfying as the abundance that goes with plowing, planting, and bearing fruit.